


To Save a Rick

by Srs (requiesticat)



Category: Rick and Morty
Genre: Adult Content, Angst and Tragedy, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Morty being caring as usual, Other, Rick being a jackass as usual, Spoilers, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 15:28:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17428586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/requiesticat/pseuds/Srs
Summary: An alternate version of the ending of "Auto-Erotic Assimilation". When Morty notices Rick's despair, he intervenes.





	To Save a Rick

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me your secrets  
> And ask me your questions  
> Oh, let's go back to the start  
> Running in circles, coming up tails  
> Heads on a science apart
> 
> Nobody said it was easy  
> It's such a shame for us to part  
> Nobody said it was easy  
> No one ever said it would be this hard  
> Oh, take me back to the start
> 
> -Coldplay, "The Scientist"

_"Grandpa Rick, what happened with Unity?”_

_“Who? Oh, Unity. Yeah, well… I mean, honestly, we’re dealing with an entity that thrives on enslavement, you know? It’s not cool. Fun’s fun, but who needs it?”_

_“I’ll be in the garage.”_

-

Morty paced his room as he recalled the conversation once more, turning Rick’s words over in his head. He’d tried, but he couldn’t sit still, and pacing helped him to think about things.

He couldn’t stop thinking about his grandfather. Ever since Rick returned from Unity’s planet, he’d been acting strangely- well, stranger than usual. Just a few hours ago, Rick dismissively told Morty and Summer that he wanted to spend some time alone with the hivemind. He’d been his ornery (read: drunk) self then.

Now, there was none of that. Rick hadn’t even made jokes at Morty’s expense like he usually did. When the others asked what went down, he’d basically said that things hadn’t worked out, his eyes downcast, voice deadpan.

Morty stopped, and stared down at the carpet. “It doesn’t make sense,” he said. “Rick was crazy about Unity. He wouldn’t stop talking about them… why would he lose interest all of a sudden?”

Did Unity break up with him?

 _That would explain a lot_ , Morty considered. Either that, or they'd had a big fight. He began retracing his steps.

Rick rarely spoke of his romantic relationships, but Morty knew most of them had ended badly. Given that Unity was an ex-lover, it wasn’t all that surprising that this one had followed suit. Still, it was strange to consider. Beyond prepositioning the hivemind for sex and having it do whatever he wanted, the scientist didn’t seem to be all that willing to make it a regular thing.

_But the way he looked when he got home… the way he acted…_

Whatever happened between them, it had clearly upset the guy. He must have cared more about his ex than he’d let on.

_“I’ll be in the garage.”_

Quietly, Morty stepped out into the hall. He headed down the stairs and stopped in the living room, intending to survey the area.

There was silence. Noone was down here. His parents and sister were still upstairs. Beth was likely talking with Jerry, and Summer was doing whatever it was teenage girls did in private.

His mouth tightened into a thin line, and his hands balled at his sides. _Doesn’t anyone care if Rick is…_

Steadfastly, Morty made his way through the kitchen. If nothing else, he could be there for his grandfather- just as he could count on Rick in times of need. He didn’t care that the only person he could rely on in this family was a huge asshole who constantly insulted him and dragged him into taking traumatizing trips around the galaxy. Better that than a wimp of a father, or a perma-drunk mother, or a catty bitch of a sister.

He didn’t have anyone he could trust, really.

Morty reached the garage door- and paused, hand hovering over the knob. Should he really be doing this? Maybe they _had_ fought, and this was something Rick would get over eventually. Maybe bothering him when he wanted to be alone was a bad idea. How many times had Rick berated the teen for invading his privacy? How often did annoyance show on his face when Morty insisted on accompanying him for one-man excursions? Perhaps this was a bad idea, and intervening would only make things worse. He didn’t have to do this. He could go back upstairs, return to his room, pretend nothing was wrong-

As much as he wanted to stop, somehow, Morty felt like there was no turning back from this. He knew he would probably come to regret it in the morning, but he didn’t care.  At this point, he just wanted answers.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door. What he saw in the garage was not an unexpected sight. To anyone else, it wouldn’t have been fear-inducing in the least. But he was filled with immediate dread.

Rick was bent over his workbench, head resting on his arms. The alcoholic scientist had fallen unconscious, and a nearby beaker stained with yellow liquid gave Morty an idea of what had transpired in the past hour. But the machine on the bench, with its hastily duct-taped sections and lamp-like appearance- he’d recognized it instantly.

_“Hey, Morty, come check this out! It’s an invention I made- a vaporizer. This thing can disintegrate any form of matter, physical or no. Even viruses don’t stand a chance against it.”_

_“Wow, Rick, that’s really cool… seems kind of dangerous, though.”_

_“That’s the point, genius. If there weren’t some sort of risk involved, this wouldn’t be an effective vaporizer, now would it?”_

_“U-um, no. I guess not.”_

_“Alright, enough talk. We’re gonna use this baby to cure Space AIDS, motherfucker! We just need to find a test subject first...”_

The body- it was under the optic lens, almost like it had been placed strategically. Not only that, but the bench looked as if he’d smashed a bottle on it. Red shards of glass were all over- those were red time crystals- _oh, god…_

“O-o-oh my god… _please, no_ -“

Morty stopped trying to be stealthy. He rushed through the cluttered garage, nearly tripping over a discarded flask in the process. Rick had drunken himself into a stupor alright, but this time it was different.

“P-p-please be alive. _Please_ , Rick, I can’t do this without you! I- I- I-“ He was stuttering, frantically pleading as he hovered around Rick’s unconscious form. Morty placed a trembling hand on his grandfather’s back and forced himself to be still.

The breathing was slight. Almost undetectable, but he could feel movement accompanying it. Morty nearly sighed out loud in relief. He would have tried for a pulse, had there been no obvious signs of life.

Morty straightened up. He was still shivering, breathing hard, and he shut his eyes, trying to blink away the tears that threatened him. He knew Rick would have made fun of him if he started crying, and that was- firmly, he told himself that was the only reason he was holding back.

Everyone would have made fun of him, and besides, he had a job to do.

A swivel chair was the only thing keeping Rick upright. Morty pulled him up by the shoulders. Soon enough, he was slumped against the back, arms draped over the rests. In an attempt to keep Rick from falling out of the chair, Morty rotated the seat around.

_Oh, Rick._

A single glimpse of the man’s unconscious form was enough to evoke sympathy in him. As thin as he was tall, Rick had always towered over Morty. But now, he was spent, head drooping slightly, and it made him look smaller. Pitiful, even.

There was something on the front of his labcoat. Thick enough to stain, it peppered the white fabric, just like the workbench was covered with shards of crystal- a grey, ashy substance. It was a striking contrast to the scarlet pieces glimmering in the artificial light of the cramped room.

Tentatively, the kid reached out and touched the stain. When he withdrew his hand, the fingertips were coated with faint remnants of it. His gaze flickered, travelling up to Rick’s face. Whatever this was, it was smeared on his forehead, cheeks, and chin. Morty wiped the ash away, not taking his eyes off the older man’s for a second.

Jesus. Rick might as well have been sleeping; he looked so tired… it was easy to forget that his grandfather stayed awake most nights, compelled by the allure of science. He was practically an insomniac in his own right.

Wanting to get him upstairs as soon as possible, Morty began wheeling Rick out of the room. He’d found no reason to stay. It was to his advantage that the chair rolled, because that meant he didn’t have to carry Rick- not that Rick would have been thrilled to wake up in his grandson’s arms to begin with.

It was slow going. The wheels worked fine, but they snagged on the carpeted sections of the floor, and every discarded object served as a potential obstacle. He paused in the doorway before crossing the threshold, peeking into the kitchen.

The others were still in their rooms, apparently. It was almost eerie.

Morty headed for the living room, newfound relief fading as he reached the stairs. The top floor seemed miles away, and caning his neck to see the hall just made him ill. It looked like he would be carrying Rick after all.

 _Easier said than done_ , Morty thought. With a restrained sigh, he slid his arms around Rick’s thin torso and lifted him off the seat. The scientist was too heavy for Morty to properly handle him, but at the same time, he was underweight for someone his age, and that made carting him off all the easier. It was like helping an enfeebled man out of a wheelchair.

As carefully as he could, the teen laid Rick out at the foot of the stairs. Morty was trying his best to not to disturb Rick, and had gotten to setting his lower half on the ground when the body slipped from his fingers. The second he heard the resulting _thunk_ , Morty freaked out.

“O-o-oh shit- _oh_ _shit_ , he’s gonna be so mad-” He knew his parents would scold him for cursing, but he didn’t care. It wasn’t like they were around to do it anyway.

Rick’s eyes were still closed. If the impact was enough to wake him, he didn’t show it. This time, Morty actually sighed in relief. Too many close calls in one sitting had frayed his nerves- it was a good thing that they all ended in his favor. Well, as best as a situation like this could end.

He just hoped this next endeavor would work out.

Without another outburst, Morty grabbed Rick by the underarms and began hauling him up the stairs. He winced every time a body part collided with the steps. They were carpeted, but it had to have left a few bruises.

By the time he got to the top, Morty could only imagine the shit he would get for handling Rick in such a manner, if the scientist wasn’t knocked out. It wasn’t just a mental image of Rick yelling at him- Summer might think it was out of line. She had accompanied them on the last trip to Unity’s planet, after all, and she knew most of what was going on. Beth would get upset- maybe she’d have tried to do the same thing for her father, but she’d consider the couch to be more of a viable option. Jerry was the only one who would have been indifferent to Rick’s suffering.

No matter who tried to make things right, Morty was the only person who could do it effectively. He knew Rick better than anyone in the family, and in a way, he made an ideal caretaker. He’d even been in situations like this before. On a few expeditions, Rick had been knocked unconscious, and Morty managed to drag him to safety. Other times, it was illness and injury that kept Rick from standing, and he’d-

God, Rick had practically begged Morty to put him out of his misery, when he wasn’t acting like it was no big deal.

_“…So why don’t you do us both a favor and pull the trigger?”_

_“_ ** _Do it!_** **_Do it, motherfucker! Pull the trigger!_** _”_

His grip tightened. Trying to repress a shudder, Morty dragged Rick into his room.

The scientist had taken residence in the guest bedroom after moving back in with the Smiths, though it was rare that he slept in it. At this point, Morty was accustomed to finding Rick passed out in the garage, practically in an alcohol-induced coma. The only difference was that he’d never tried to take his life in the process.

Grunting, Morty hefted Rick onto the bed- and promptly doubled over the second the weight left his shoulders. He was breathing hard, trying to get in enough air to make up for the physical exertion- ultimately; it was more from the strain of their current ordeal.

 _…Okay, fine. It’s because I’m a wimp,_ Morty thought, straightening up. _I’m not strong at all._ He stared down at the cot, and the person who lay unconscious on it.

_I hope Rick appreciates everything I’m doing for him._

He wasn’t counting on it.

Awkwardly, Morty stood there for awhile, unsure of what he should do next. He had been so focused on the tasks he’d burdened himself with that it went unnoticed before, but now, he was painfully aware of how quiet it was. New ambience, having lagged behind in waiting, joined the silence. The faint hum of the heater, the muffled sound of Summer’s voice as she talked on her phone, the television in his parent’s room.

Rick had tried to commit suicide, and his family was, for the most part, unaware of it. None of them had tried to help him- he’d effectively announced the location he was going to do it, and noone had stopped him. Asked more questions. They’d practically handed him a revolver and challenged him to a game of Russian roulette.

Morty shut his eyes. “Just let it go,” he muttered. “They had no way of knowing he was going to do it.”

Having to do this himself was better than Rick getting no help at all, he figured. Morty decided to make another trip to the kitchen.

Once he arrived, Morty took a plastic cup from the cupboard and held it under the sink. When it filled halfway with water, he turned the tap off and headed back upstairs, passing the chair on the way. Morty considered getting the flask while he was there, but decided to leave it where it was.

The bathroom was next. He retrieved an aspirin bottle from the cabinet and dropped two pills into the cup. Then he left the cabinet shut, closing the door behind him. When he re-entered Rick’s room, he half-expected the scientist to be awake, glaring at him from the bed. Demanding to know why he’d been subdued like this, and what the hell Morty was doing.

It was almost reassuring, that Rick was still unconscious. Things were almost going smoothly- somehow, things were going _right_ in a time like this, as insignificant as they were.

The teen set the cup down on a nearby nightstand. Tentatively, he walked up to Rick and, after some moments of deliberation, pulled the sheet out from under him. It elicited a soft groan, and Morty froze instantly.

Another close call. Gritting his teeth, Morty went about the job more carefully, taking care not to disturb his acquaintance. Honestly, he wasn’t sure how many surprises he could take.

Once he was finished, he covered Rick with the sheet and stepped back. Not bad. It almost looked normal, like Rick had gotten into bed by himself. Like the prior events of the day never happened.

Morty felt a little sad at that. “Yeah,” he said softly. “This is all a bad dream.”

The older man seemed to have finally come to, if the snoring was any indication. He was stuck in the throes of sleep, draped over a cot far too small for someone of his stature. It wasn’t a peaceful slumber by any means. The troubled expression and tense posture gave the impression of someone who was having a nightmare.

Gently, Morty placed a hand on his grandfather’s shoulder. Rick relaxed slightly, features smoothing at the touch.

Despite everything, the teen gave a wan smile. “Feel better soon.”

His next action was to remove the labcoat. If he was in this situation, he would have wanted his mom to leave out freshly laundered clothes for him to find in the morning. Something normal to start the day.

It had been easier to get than the sheet, that was for sure. Morty folded the coat so that the stain was facing him as he walked. He was so busy examining it that he wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings. By the time he got to the garage, he had a vague idea of what the foreign material came from, though he still wasn’t sure what it was, exactly.

Briefly, he glanced at a microscope. Rick wasn’t a very organized person, and he generally tended to discard things instead of putting them away. Important tools were kept out for easy access, however, and the instrument stood out amongst the clutter on the metal shelves.

Morty placed the garment next to the vaporizer. He pushed the machine to the side and held his hand near the table, scooping up most of the crystal shards with the other. They fell off the edge, landing in his open palm- too blunt to cut, width too thick to prove difficult- and he transported them to the trash receptacle. Rinse and repeat.

_He really needs to clean up after himself._

When everything was ready, Morty began searching the work station for slides. He found spares lying in a drawer next to a bag of q-tips- pretty convenient, but then again, he _was_ allowed access to this place. Thanks to that, as well as the times Rick had requested his assistance in helping with an invention, he knew the interior of the garage like the back of his hand. It was more like a makeshift laboratory than anything.

Morty took the microscope down and set it on the space he’d cleared off. Then, he got to work.

He swabbed the stain once, rubbed the cotton end on a relatively-clean slide, and clipped it to the stage. After a few adjustments and the press of a switch, the illuminator lit up, and he was peering into the eyepiece.

He’d initially set the objective lenses to 40x. This proved to be work, though it wasn’t successful. The specimen blurred together in a murky wash of brown and green. He set it to 10x, and the slide came into focus. Bingo.

It was like he was in school again, doing a lab on microscopic creatures. What he saw was something akin to the bacteria he’d studied in science class. A tiny world consisting of grainy things and weirdly-shaped objects clumped together, colored off-putting shades of brown and green. Nothing too odd. The most peculiar feature were objects that resembled pincushions. They drifted through the open space, prong-like structures sticking out of rounded, lumpy centers.

Something about these creatures was oddly familiar to him. He couldn’t place it.

Morty found himself grinning as he continued to study the material, slowly turning the knobs to get the right adjustment. Though noone took him for the type, he really liked science. Stuff like this was pretty fascinating to him, and he was still grateful that his parents had put the idea of taking biology in his head. Beyond trying to get him the occasional high grade, Rick was mostly indifferent to his studies, and acted like school was the most boring thing in the world whenever Morty brought it up. But the scientist practically perked up if Morty mentioned his science class, claiming he would forever support him in that endeavor.

He looked up, intending to find another specimen for his viewing pleasure. And then he remembered where he was.

“O-oh jeez. I’ve got to go to bed… I have school tomorrow.”

Admittedly, he did feel pretty weary, and it wasn’t just from the things he’d done tonight. Falling asleep in class hadn’t ended well for him either. Standing up, he turned the microscope off before removing the slide and pushing the device back into its original position. The substance was quickly wiped away with a dirty cloth he found, but this wouldn’t go into the wash. Looking at the germy things close up had been really interesting, and he intended to come back tomorrow to do more observations, if Rick would be away.

 _That reminds me,_ Morty thought. _I’m gonna go upstairs to check on him… god, I hope he’s alright._

He headed out of the room, and back through the first floor, yawning when he reached the stairs. Despite the slight distraction, the teen felt pretty shook up as he walked. Somewhat numb. Frightened. But most of all, anxious and worried. He was breathing hard, and his legs wobbled slightly as they touched down, forcing him to grab the railing. Every time the wooden steps creaked, he cringed, jumping a little.

_My grandfather tried to kill himself today_

Morty stopped to peer into Rick’s room. Then, he sighed, slumping against the doorframe. Rick was still asleep. This time, his expression appeared to be relatively peaceful.

The sight brought Morty some peace of mind. He was barely able to convince himself that it was the last visit he needed to make tonight. Just barely. He could talk to Rick in the morning, when the man was awake.

Rick Sanchez and the word “alright” didn’t exactly go together, considering his erratic mood swings and dependency on alcohol. Morty knew it, and he also knew that it was foolish to worry about someone who got targeted, shot at, attacked, and nearly killed on a daily basis, especially if that person managed to _survive_ such things. On some level, he didn’t know why the suicide attempt bothered him so much- maybe it was because Rick was just so secretive about his problems, avoiding therapy at all costs. Maybe it was the constant nihilistic attitude that had to be part of a coping mechanism. Or… maybe Morty was overthinking this, and he’d put himself through the ringer enough tonight, and he _wasn’t going to think about it until tomorrow._

The teen closed the door, and headed into his own room. He didn’t even want to get ready for bed- he just wanted to collapse into it and sleep. Even if nightmares resulted from this. He didn’t care. It was hard to, when you already had enough bad dreams to last a lifetime.

It didn’t take long for that innate desire to become reality. At last, the fear, pain, and guilt melted away as the world drifted into blackness. Morty Smith slept that night, troubled and slightly traumatized from what he had seen. Even so, he still slept.

-

He woke up when the alarm went off.

Morty sat bolt upright, and quickly resorted to gasping for breath. He was covered in sweat, and his face had paled overnight, betraying the restless emotions swirling within him.

 _I probably_ did _have a nightmare,_ he thought.

The teen hit the snooze button on the alarm clock. A glimpse of the display told him it was 7 am- he had a good hour before school begun.  
  
_Before getting ready, I should check on Rick._  
  
He slid off the bed, and left the room wearing nothing but the clothes he hadn't bothered to change.  
  
Then, he headed out into the hallway. Paused. Took a deep breath, when he saw the door was open.  
  
At last, Morty walked over to it. Then, he stopped.  
  
And stared.  
  
Tears of relief nearly came to his eyes when he saw his grandfather, sitting hunched over in bed with his eyes closed, rubbing at his temples and wincing. Rick must have been suffering from a hangover, but Morty could tell that wasn't the only source of pain. His heart ached as he stared at the man who raised him, and just hours ago had tried to commit suicide.  
  
The scientist was lucky to be alive at all.  
  
Floorboards creaked beneath Morty's feet. Rick looked up, his usual scowl morphing into an expression of surprise. Then, slight annoyance.  
  
"R-Rick... you're awake..." Morty gasped, taking a few cautionary steps forward. It required a lot of willpower to not run up and throw his arms around him.  
  
"Are you okay? I f-found you in the garage after you got home. What were you doing?"  
  
Morty had a million questions. But one came to the forefront of his mind, and he voiced it with stuttering urgence.  
  
"Last night. Did you…”

He could barely make himself finish.

“Did you try to kill yourself?”

Rick looked away. Eventually, he answered.

"...Yes."  
  
His voice was quiet.  
  
At last, the truth was out, confirming Morty's worst fear. Ice settled over his stomach. He could feel it twist into a knot, bringing with it a nausea that made him feel like vomiting.  
  
"I’m guessing you brought me up here, then.”  
  
The older man glanced up, subtle judgement and anger locked together within a stoical expression. But mostly, he sounded apathetic...  
  
_And a little sad._  
  
Rick rolled his eyes, and moved to sit with his legs hanging over the side of the bed. "Look," he said. "I know you're worried about me or some retarded bullshit like that, but you really shouldn't be."

 _Damn it,_ Morty thought.  _I knew he was going to act like this. I just knew it…_ For all the world, they could have been discussing the weather.

He took another step forward.  
  
"If I was serious, I would have gone through with it, you know? But look-"  
  
Rick gestured to a nearby desk. A grey flask lay on top. It looked like the one he always drank from. Didn’t matter. Nothing that was being said made Morty feel any better  
  
"I made it so that I would pass out from drinking. That was a given. Nothing bad would have happened, alright?" His eyes narrowed. "So take all of your sympathy and shove it up your-"  
  
"That's a lie."  
  
"Huh?" For a second, conviction was replaced by confusion. "You think I'm lying? Are you _kidding_ me, Morty?"

Annoyance came through, this time mixed with anger that sounded like it was about to be unleashed.

“I just _admitted_ to doing what _you_ accused me of doing. There’s no point to lying, so why the fuck would I be dishonest about it?”

Rick had a point. Always, he had to have a goddamn point, and he was right. Even so, Morty refused to let the issue go. He could barely believe that the scientist was telling him outright to not care about him when his very life was at stake. It wasn't even a good idea to bring up Unity. Clearly, Rick was less than willing to discuss what happened, but alright with refuting every argument passed his way. Morty couldn't begin to bring it up- fuck, they couldn't even-

"Exactly! I saw that you were lying unconscious under a _goddamn laser!"_ The teen gripped the knob with a trembling hand, and shut the door behind him. His voice cracked as he tried to voice his concern without completely breaking down right there on the spot. _"You tried to kill yourself!_ Of course I'm worried, Rick!"  
  
Rick looked somewhat taken aback. This lasted for a few seconds, until he closed his eyes, and sighed.

"Look, just calm down," he responded. "You've seen me die before, when we’re going on adventurers. But I came back to life afterwards, or narrowly managed to escape death some other way. We did that whole thing where we buried our alternate selves after they bought it. Remember that? This really isn't a big deal."  
  
God, was he even  _hearing_ the things he was saying? Morty interrupted him with another outburst. "Yes it _is!_ Quit acting so nonchalant about this!"  
  
Despite the fear and the sadness and the anxiety attacking him all at once, he stood his ground. Hands balled into fists at his sides.  
  
"Do you have any idea how worried I've been? How horrified I was when I found out why you were down there, in the garage?"  
  
This time, tears really did come. He was angry, of course. Infuriated by the constant denial. But mostly worried about his grandfather.  
  
"This is different. Those other times, you managed to come back to life. But last night, you could have disappeared, you could have _died_ \- left me, mom, dad, and Summer all alone-"  
  
Shock registered in Rick's tired features. His eyes widened, but he said nothing more.  
  
"You would have broken mom's heart, and... a-and that's not all. I care. I care so much about you, Rick. C-can't you see that?"  
  
Morty wasn't lying. The thought of losing a family member made him physically ill, deep down and out.  
  
"Please, d-don't do anything like this again." He finished his emotional spheal and gulped down air in order to continue, halfheartedly wiping at his cheeks. "You scared me so much yesterday. I really, really don't wanna lose you. Okay?"  
  
Before, Rick had seemingly been distracted while he gave excuses for his actions, unable to meet Morty's gaze. Now, they were staring directly at each other, without breaking contact once. Time passed. Nothing but silence echoed in the small room.  
  
Eventually, Rick's brows furrowed, knitting together. His mouth was a firm, thin line, his expression inscrutable.

"...Okay."

Slowly, he nodded in assent.

"I won't do it again.”  
  
_"Promise!"_  
  
"I _promise,_ Morty.”

Suddenly, he had stood up, and he was coming over. Something had to happen. Everything would go back to normal soon, as it had always been. The world would go back- jesus, he wished it would-

Rick placed a hand upon the teen’s shoulder. His grip was firm, but gentle. It broke the frantic reverie in half, the panic, and Morty stared up at the older man in shocked silence, his eyes wide and wet. Gradually, his posture went slack.

“I promise not to harm myself,” Rick continued. “Is that alright?”

Those long, thin fingers tightened slightly. Each reassuring statement was tinged with a hint of desperation.

“Good enough for you?”

The two stood together for a time afterwards, saying nothing more. Finally, Rick was the one to break contact. Stiffly, he turned around, and walked out into the hallway.

Morty just stood there for awhile, staring listlessly at the ground. It was difficult to say how much time had passed.

Absentmindedly, he found himself hoping that he wouldn’t be late for school.

Eventually, his eyes drifted over to the bed, for a lack of something else to focus on. The sheets were unmade, and they would probably stay that way until he, and everyone else, left the house.

He caught a glimpse of something white under the dark green mattress that served as a cot. Kneeling down revealed that it was a small, crinkled scrap of paper. Words had been scribbled on it, but they were too far away for him to make out. In order to read them, he would have to obtain it, for better or worse.

Silently praying that noone would catch him doing something so foolish, Morty ducked under the cot, and began to crawl forward. After reaching the paper scrap, he slid it across the floor, and went back out. Got to his feet, and held it up close to his face so as to view it properly.

His heart sank. Instantly, he knew what the intent behind the short message was, though it was hard to say why it had been left here.

The note read as follows:

 

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by The Static Speaks My Name.
> 
> https://youtu.be/FJyQyuSRRfw


End file.
